Catalytic hydrogenation of nonnitrogenous aliphatic compounds



, bodies containing Patented May 23, 1 933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ALPHONS O. J'AEGER, 0F MOUNT LEBANON, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE SELDEN COMPANY, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE CATALYTIC HYDROGENATION OF NONNITROGENOUS ALIIPHATIC COMPOUNDS No Drawing. Original application filed February 25, 1928, Serial No. 256,917. Divided and this application filed September 23, 1929. Serial No. 394,732.

This invention relates to the catalytic hydrogenation of non-nitrogeneous aliphatic compounds in the liquid or 'vapor phase, with or without pressure, at ordinary or elevated temperatures.

According to the present invention nonnitrogeneous' organic compounds are hydrogenated in the presence of a new class of catalyst compositions, either in the liquid or the vapor phase, by means of reducing gases of all kinds, for example, hydrogen, gases containing hydrogen, gases containing carbon monoxide, such as water gas with or without the presence of ethylene, methane, carbon dioxide, water vapors, nitrogen and the like. In fact any of the ordinary reducing gases may be used. Contact masses used in the present invention contain base exchange bodies or their derivatives in which at least one component is present in non exchangeable form or imbedded as a diluent. The invention does not include contact masses containing, when freshly prepared, base exchange bodies in which the only catalytically active component having specific activity is present in exchangeable form.

Under the term base exchange body are included all natural or artificial bodies which possess the properties of exchanging their bases for other bases of salt solutions. The base exchanging products used in making catalytic compositions of the present invention or as initial material for derivatives to be so used may possess high base exchanging power or in many cases may possess lower base exchanging power, since the catalytic value of the final compositions is not primarily dependent on the amount of base ex changing power present. In eneral the base exchange bodies may be divided into three main categories :Tw0-component and multi componen't zeoli s,- i."e., base exchange gzemically combined silicon in their nucle s and non-silicious base exchange bodies in which all of the silicon is replaced by other suitable acidic or amphoteric metal oxides.- Two-component zeolites are the reaction products of two types of initial components, that is to say, metallates and silicates, (using the term metallate in a somewhat broader sense as will be defined further on inthe description), or metal salts and silicates. Frequently more than one member of a type may enter into reaction, that is to say, a silicate may react with more than one metallate or more than one metal salt. The multi-component zeolites are the reaction products of at least three types of components, that is to say, at least one silicate, at least one metallate, and at least one metal salt.

The base exchange bodies, both zeolites and non-silicious base exchange bodies, may be associated with diluents preferably in the form of a physically homogeneous structure, as will be described below, Either diluted or undiluted base exchange bodies may be present in the contact masses used in the present invention, or their derivatives may be present, but it should be understood that wherever base exchange bodies are referred to both diluted and undiluted products are included. I

Base exchange bodies, both zeolites and non-silicious base exchange bodies, may also be transformed into derivatives which possess many of the chemical and most of the' physical characteristics of the parent base exchange bodies. Such derivatives may be salt-like bodies, that is to say, the reaction products of base exchange bodies with compounds containing anions capable of reacting with the base exchange bodies to form products which possess many of the properties of salts. A further class of derivatives are the acid leached base exchan bodies. When a base exchange body is su jected to leaching by acids, particularl dilute mineral acids, the exchangeable uses are first gradually removed. The resulting products contain both the more basic and the more acidic components of the non-exchangeable nucleus oi the base exchange body, with or 'withouta portion of the exchangeable bases. As the leaching is carried on further, more and more of the relatively positive components of the non-exchangeable nucleus are removed, and if carried to completion the leached product contams only therelatively' acid components of the non-exchangeable nucleus. In the case of zeolites the final product from long continued leaching is a complex silicic acid which has many of the physical properties of the original base exchange body.

Catalytically active components may be associated with diluted or undiluted permutogenetic bodies in three main forms as follows :(1) They may be physically admixed with or impregnated into the permutogenetic products. (2) They may be physically homogeneously incorporated into the permutogenetic products before the latter have been completely formed in the form of catalytically active diluent bodies or in the form of diluents which have been impregnated with catalytically active substances. (3) They may be chemically combined with or in the permutogenetic products in non-exchangeable form, that is to say, the may form a part of the non-exchangea le. nucleus of the base exchange body present in the final contact mass or which is transformed into the derivatives, or they may be chemically combined with the base exchange bodies in the form of catalytically active anions which form with the base exchange body salt-like bodies. Obviously of course the same or different catalytically active components may be present in more than one of the above described forms, and it is an advantage of the present invention that catalytically active substances may be chemically combined in non-exchangeable form or physically combined with permutogenetic bodies in a wide variety of forms, which gives a wide field of choice to the catalytic chemist. While the different permutogenetic products may vary widely in their chemical characteristics, they all possess a similar physical structure which is characterized by more or less high porosity, frequently microporosity, and great resistance to high temperatures, and in the case of products which have not been acid leached to the point of removal of catalytically active components these components are distributed throughout the framework of the products in atomic or molecular dispersion, as will be described in greater detail below, and this chemical homogeneity is one of the important advantages of some of the contact masses of the present invention.

While two of the methods of combination of the catalytically active substances may be effected with undiluted as well as diluted permutogenetic products, it has been found that for most reactions homogeneously diluted permutogenetic contact masses are of advantage, particularly where the diluents are of a physical nature such as to exert a desired influence on a catalytic activity of the contacts masses, as when, for example, diluents are rich in silica, which has been found to have an activating power, or where the diluents by reason of high porosity, capillarity, or surface energy may be considered as physical catalysts or. activators.

Base exchange bodies used in contact masses of the present invention behave as if they were products of extremely high molecular weight for catalytically active components can be introduced into the nonexchangeable nucleus in practically any desirable proportions and the ordinary low of chemical combining proportions, which in compounds of low molecular weight restricts the proportions in which components can be incorporated chemically, appears to be without force, which makes it reasonable to assume that the molecular weight is so high as to completely mask the effect of the law. It is of course possible that the base exchange bodies, or some of them, may be solid solutions of a plurality of related compounds of lower molecular wei ht. It has not been possible hitherto to definitely settle this question, as base exchage bodies are not readily capable of structural chemical analysis. The present invention is of course not limited to any theory, but irrespective of the underlying reasons the fact that catalytically active components may be chemically introduced in any desired proportions is of enormous importance to the catalytic chemist and gives him the power to produce an almost unlimited number offinely and gradually toned catalysts or contact masses for the various reductions and hydrogenations of organic nitrogen compounds. In all cases the contact masses produced are highly effective by reason of the desirable physical structure of the permjitogenetic products contained therein and the wide limits of the reactions coming within the scope of the present invention it is desirable to stabilize the contact masses, and this may be effected by associating with the permutogenetic products or incorporating or forming therein compounds of thealkali forming metals, that is to say, alkali metals, the alkaline earth metals, and the strongly basic earth metals. These compounds appear to slow up or smooth out the catalytic reaction, and will be referred to throughout this specification as stabilizers. While for some reactions strongly alkaline stabilizers are not harmful, it has been found that for many reactions it is important to provide nonlizers.

alkaline stabilizers, such as for example, the salts or compounds of alkali. forming metals which do not possess an alkaline reaction. It is a great advantage of the present invention that in the normal formation of base exchange bodies alkali forming metal oxides are present as exchangeable bases, and whether used without acid treatment or treated with acid, they form stabilizers which are combined in or associated with the resulting permutogenetic products in an extremely fine state of division in which the stabilizers are peculiarly active. Thus base exchange bodies containing alkali forming metal exchangeable bases may be considered as complex stabilizers.

In addition to the use of stabilizers which are important in a large number of hydrogenations included in the scope of the present invention, it has been found that the stabilizer action and the overall efficiency of the contact masses can in many cases be greatly increased or enhanced with the association therewith or chemical combination therein of elementsor radicals or 'roups which are catalytically active butv do not possess specific catalytic activity for the particular reaction to be carried out. Thus for example in the case of a hydrogenation reaction, certain catalysts which at the temperatures used in the reaction behave as dehydrogenation catalysts may be added to enhance and tone the catalytic activity of the catalysts or the operation of the stabi- Similarly in some cases oxidation catalysts, such as those containing metal elements of the fifth and sixth groups of the periodic system may greatly improve the efi'ectiveness of the contact mass used, especially where it is desirable to produce intermediate products which in some cases are relatively unstable. Some other reduction reactions involve the splitting oil of water or in somecases the splitting ofi' of carbon dioxide, and may also involve molecular condensations. In such reactions it is very desirable to incorporate catalysts or cata- Iytic components which are not specific reduction catalysts but which may favor dehydration, splitting oil of carbon dioxide or condensation. Such catalysts or catalytic components which are not specific catalysts for the reaction in which they are being used under the reaction conditions obtaining will be referred to throughout the specification as stabilizer promoters, as they appear to :enhance the toning eifect which can be achieved b stabilizers. The use of this expression s ould, however, in no sense be taken to limit the invention to a particular theory of action of these non-specific catalysts and in fact in some cases stabilizer promoters may be present where there are no stabilizers. v

The tremendous range of chemical groups which may be combined in or with or incorporated in permutogenetic products permits a wide choice of stabilizer romoters as well as specific catalysts and permits their association with the contact masses in an extremely homogeneous and catalytically efficient form. Thus many base exchange bodies or their derivatives may be considered as complex catalysts, stabilizers and stabilizer promoters, as all of these elements may be present in the same chemical compound and sharing the advantages flowing from its desirable physical structure and chemical properties. Of course both stabilizer and stabilizer promoters may be mixed partly or wholly with permutogenetic products and a single stabilizer or single stabilizer promoter may be present partly in physical admixture and partly in chemical combination, as will be clear to the skilled base exchange chemist.

The base exchange bodies which form the important components or initial material for derivatives in contact masses of the present invention may be prepared in any of the well known methods. Thus for example, two-component zeolites ma be prepared by wet methods, in which ti iemctallate components or metal salt components, part or all of which may be catal tically active, are caused to react with solu le silicates to form zeolites of alumino silicate or aluminum double silicate types, or the components may be fused, preferably in the presence of fluxes. It should be understood that under the term metallate is included not only the alkaline solutions of amphoteric metal oxides or hydroxides but also alkali forming metal salts of metal acids, such as the oxyacids of metals of the fifth and sixth groups, which in at least one stage of oxidation are not strictly speaking amphoteric, but which products are capable of reacting with silicates to form zeolites, or with other components to form non-silicious base exchange bodies. Throughout the specification this somewhat more general definition of metallates will be strictly adhered to. In the formation of two-oomponent zeolites by wet methods, the final reaction product must be alkaline to litmus, and for products of high base exchanging power it should be neutral or alkaline to phenolphthalein. For the purpose of producing base exchange bodies to be used in the preparation of contact masses of the present invention it is sometimes unnecessary to provide high base exchanging ower, and for many purposes zeolites ormed under conditions resulting in a final reaction which is acid to phenolphthalein but alkaline to litmus are of advantage. It is not definitely known whether products produced under such circumstances are homogeneous chemical compounds, although in .double silicate type of silicates,

many ways they behave as such. There is. however, reason to believe that in some cases at least mixtures of base exchanging and non-base exchanging polysilicates may be produced. For the purpose of the present specification a product will be considered as a base exchange product if it has any base exchange power at all.

It is desirable for many purposes and particularly where two-component zeolites of high base exchanging power are'needed to add the relatively acid components, for example, metal salts in the case of aluminum to the relatively more alkaline components such as for example soluble silicates. By these means a continuous alkalinity is insured, and this method may be considered as the preferred method in most cases, but the opposite procedure is advantageous for certain contact masses and is included in the invention.

Multi-component zeolites may be prepared by any of the foregoing methods using at least three types 0 components, that is to say, metal salt-and at least one soluble silicate. In the case of multi-component zeolites, as in the case of two-component zeolites, the conditions of alkalinity should be observed, and for many purposes it is advantageous to add the relatively acid components to the relatively alkaline components, in order to insure continuous alkaline reaction. The multi-component zeolites produced vary in their nature, dependent on the proportion of the different reacting components. Thus where the metallates and silicates predominate over the metal'salts the resulting products resemble the alumino silicate type of two-component zeolites. If the metal salts and silicates predominate over the metallates the products resemble the aluminum double silicate type of two-component zeolites, and finally if the metallates and metal salts predominate over the silicates the resulting product resembles more or less non-silicious base exchange bodies. It will be clear that there is no sharp defining line between the three types of multi-component zeolites, and one shades into the other as the proportions of the different components vary. It is an advantage of the multi-component zeolites over the two-component zeolites that. the choice of catalytically active components is wider, as some catalytically active elements or groups can only be incorporated in the form of metallates. and others only in the form of metal salts. In a multi-component zeolite each catalytically active group can be incorporated in the form in which it is best available.

Non-silicious base exchange bodies are produced by the general methods described above, but instead of bringing about reacat least one metallate, at least one tions between silicates and other metal oxide components, two or more oxymetal compounds are caused to react, in general, at least one will be a metallate and at least one a metal salt, or in some cases it is ossible to bring about action between two ifferent metallates in which one negative radical is more acidic than the other. It is possible to produce non-silicious base exchange bodies in which a plurality of metal oxides are present. It is also possible to produce nonsilicious base exchange. bodies in which a single metal is present, Thus for example, some metals may be sufficiently amphoteric in character to form both metallates and metal salts which are capable of reacting with each other to produce base exchange bodies.

A s ecial method of producing non-silicious ase exchange bodies consists in the gradual neutralization of strongly alkaline salts of the oxyacids of metal elements of the fifth and sixth groups in stages of oxidation in which they are sufliciently amphoteric. The neutralization of other strongly alkaline metallates may also bring about formation of non-silicious base exchange bodies. The converse method, whereby nonalkaline salts of suitable metals are gradually treated with alkali until the reaction is sufficiently alkaline to permit the formation of base exchange bodies, may also be used.

Many metals are capable of entering into the base exchange formation only in certain stages of oxidation, and it is sometimes necessary to introduce such metals in a stage of oxidation different from that desired in the final base exchange body, the change of stage of oxidation being preferably effected during the formation of the base exchange body. Certain other elements may be incorporated in the form of complex compounds of the most various types, such as for example, ammonia com lexes and the like.

In addition to the artificial base exchange bodies briefly described above, natural base exchange bodies, such as nepheline, leucite, feldspar, and the like, may be used.

The most important contact masses for many reactions contain ermutogenetic products in which preferab y the diluents are homogeneously inco orated into the base exchange bodies be ore formation of the latter, or at least before the base exchange body has set after formation. Many diluents, both inert, stabilizing, activating, catalytically active, or having stabilizer promoter effects, can be used. A few of the diluents will be briefly enumerated :-kieselguhrs of all kinds, particularly natural or treated celite earth, silicious powders of various types, powdered permuto enetic products, natural or artificial pow ers of rocks, stones, tuffs, trass, lava, and similarly volcanic products which are frequently highly porous, greensand, glauconite or its acid leached derivative glaucosil, pulverized slag wool cements, sand, silica gel, pulverized earthenware, fullers earth, talc, glass powder, pumice meal, asbestos, graphite, activated carbon, quartz meal, various pulverized minerals rich in quartz, metal powders and metal alloy powders, salts of oxymetal acids such as tungstates, vanadates, chromates, uranates, manganates, cerates, molybdates, etc., particularly copper salts of the above, silicates, such as copper silicate, iron silicate, nickel silicate, cobalt silicate, aluminum silicate, titanium silicate, minerals or ores, especially those rich in copper, etc. Finely divided diluents are of great advantage, especially when the average particle size is less than 60 microns, in which case the diluents possess high surface energy, which increases the adsorptive and absorptive capacity of the contact mass, the diffusion speed and porosity. These finely divided diluents may be considered as physical catalysts or activitors. Diluted permutogenetic bodies may also be finely divided and used as part or all of the diluents of other base exchange bodies.

The following nine methods are the most effective for the introduction of diluents, but any other suitable methods can be used.

(1) The diluents may be mixed with one or more liquid components of the base exchange bodies to be formed when the latter are prepared by wet methods (2) Components, either catalytically active, stabilizer promoters, or others, may be precipitated or impregnated into diluent bodies which are then incorporated into the base exchange bodies by any suitable methods of incorporation.

(3) Diluents may be mixed with base exchange bodies while the latter are still in the form of gels, by kneading or stirring, in which case the base exchange gel behaves as an adhesive. The homogeneity and uniformity of the distribution of the diluents is of course not so great by this method as by method 1), but for many catalytic hydrogenations of non-nitrogenous organic compounds extreme uniformity is not essential.

(4) Diluents may be formed during the formation of base exchange bodies by mixing suitable compounds with the components of the base exchange bodies so that the diluent particles are precipitated during formation.

rotcctive colloids may be added to prevent coagulation of the diluent particles before the base exchange bodies have become sufficiently set.

(5) Compounds may be added which react with certain of the base exchange body forming components to produce diluents, for instance salts of the metal acids of the fifth and sixth groups may be added in sufiicient excess so that they react with components of the base exchange body to form insoluble diluents, as for example with heavy metal oxides.

(6) Preformed base exchange bodies, diluted or undiluted, artificial or natural, can be im regnated with true or colloidal solutions of the catalytically effective components and then dried.

(7) A preformed base exchange body, diluted or undiluted, may be impregnated with a plurality of solutions which react therein to precipitate any desired diluents.

(8) Soluble diluent compounds may be added to the components forming a base exchange body, which after formation retains the compounds in solution and is dried without washing or is treated to precipitate the compounds.

(9) Natural base exchange bodies or artificial base exchange bodies, diluted or undiluted, or their derivatives, may be impregnated with solutions of the desired compounds, which are then precipitated by means of reactive gases.

The nucleus or non-exchangeable portion of the molecules of the base exchange bodies is ordinarily considered to consist of two types of oxides, namely, relatively basic metal oxides, usually amphoteric, and relatively acidic oxides, such as SiO some amphoteric metal oxides and somemetal oxides which have a distinctly acid character. The nucleus behaves as a single anion and cannot be split by ordinary chemical means, but it is advantageous to consider the two portions of the nucleus as the basic and acidic portions, bearing in mind of course that the nucleus behaves as a single group. The metal compounds which are capable of forming the basic portion of the nucleus are those of the following metals :copper, silver, gold, bismuth, beryllium, zinc, cadmium, boron, aluminum, some rare earths, titanium, zirconium, tin, lead, thorium, niobium, antimony, tantalum, chromium, molybdenum, tungsten, uranium, vanadium, manganese, iron, nickel, cobalt, platinum, palladium. Compounds of these elements may be int-roduced singly or in mixtures, in any desired porportions, and may be in the form of simple or complex ions.

It should be understood that some of the elements in certain stages of oxidation may be introduced either as metallates or metal salts. Others may be introduced in only one form, and still others may be introduced in a stage of oxidation other than that desired in the final base exchange body or in the form of complex compounds. Among the complex ionogens are ammonia, hydrocyanic acid, oxalic acid, formic acid, tartaric acid, citric acid, glycerine, and the like.

Many of the metals are specific catalysts,

others are stabilizers, and still others are stabilizer promoters. Naturally the status of an element as catalyst or stabilizer promoter will vary with the particular reduction or hydrogenation reaction for which the final contact mass is to be used, and the choice of catalysts and stabilizer promoters together with the roportions will be determined by the particular catal tic reduction or hydrogenation of the particular organic compound for which the contact mass is to be used.

Examples of components forming the relatively acid portion of the base exchange nucleus are alkali metal silicates, which are soluble in alkali, and alkali metal salts of acids, such as those of boron, phosphorus, nitrogen, tin, titanium, vanadium, tungsten, chromium, niobium, tantalum, uranium, antimony, manganese, etc. 7

The exchangeable bases of the base exchange bodies may be substituted by base exchange, and the elements which can be introduced sin ly or in admixture by base exchange are t e following :-copper, silver, gold, ammonia, beryllium, calcium, manganese, caseium potassium, sodium, zinc, strontium, ca mium, barium, lead, aluminum scandium, titanium, zirconium, tin, antimony, thorium, vanadium, lithium rubidium, thallium, bismuth, chromium uranium, manganese, iron, cobalt, nickel, ruthenium, alladium, platinum and cerium.

Depen ing on the reactions in which the contact mass is to be used, the exchangeable bases introduced may be specific catalysts, they may be stabilizers, or they may be stabilizer promoters. They may be introduced as simple ions or' as complex ions, and may enhance the catalytic activity of the final contact mass improve its physical structure, or both. It should be understood that while the present invention does not include hydrogenations in which permutogenet ic contact masses are used containing exchangeable bases as their only specific catalysts certain catalyticallyactive elements such as, for example, some of those enumerated in a foregoing paragraph, may be introduced by base exchange into contact masses which already contain specific catalytically active components resent in non-exchangeable form either in the non-exchangeable nucleus of the base exchange molecule or chemically united therewith in the 'form of anions to produce salt-like bodies or imbedded therein in the form of diluents.

As has been described above, base exchange bodies can be caused to react with compounds containing acidic radicals capaw ble of forming therewith salt-like bodies.

The radicals may be precent in the form of simple acid radicals, polyacid radicals or complex acid radicals, and include radicals containing the following elements :chr0- mium, vanadium, tungsten, uranium, molybdenum manganese, tantalum, niobium, antimony, selenium, tellurium, phosphorus, bismuth, tin, chlorine, platinum, boron. Among the complex radicals are ferro and ferricyanogen, certain ammonia complexes and the like. The amount of acid radicals caused to unite with the base exchange bodies to form salt-like bodies may be varied so that the resulting products may possess the character of acid, neutral or basic salts. Most of these acid radicals are stabilizers or stabilizer promoters for the catalytic hydrogenation of non-nitrogenous compounds.

The base exchange bodies diluted or undiluted, or some of their salt-like body derivatives, may be treated with acids, such as mineral acids, for example, 240% sulfuric, hydrochloric or nitric acids, to remove part or all of the exchangeable bases, or also part or all of the basic portion of the nucleus.

In the case of zeolites, the partial leaching with acid, which leaves part or all of the basic portion of the nucleus or even part of the exchangeable bases, does not affect the function of the zeolites as catalysts when they contain catalytically active elements in the basic portion of the nucleus, or in some cases even exchangeable bases, and such partially leached catalysts are of great importance in many reactions. Where the leaching is carried out to completion the advantageous physical structure remains to a considerable extent the same, but the remainder is of course a form of silica, or in the case of zeolites in which part of the silica is replaced by other acidic compounds,

a mixture of the two, and usually will not be a specific catalyst for the hydrogenation of non-nitrogenous organic compounds. It serves, however, as an advantageous physical carrier of specific catalysts, and in the case of partially substituted zeolites may also contain stabilizer promoters.

Leached non-silicious base exchange bodies, either partially or completely leached, may contain catalytically active components and behave as catalyst, stabilizer promoters of both, and many important catalysts for the hyldrogenation of nonnitrogenous organic compounds are thus obtained. This is particularly the case for reactions where a relatively alkali-free contact mass is required for best results and where the alkaline content of a contact mass containing a base exchange body may be too great for optimum results.

Base exchange bodies or their derivatives,

copper minerals, fall within this class.

Ezvamplc 1 A contact mass is prepared as follows:

203() parts of SiO in the form of a commercial Waterglass solution are diluted with 7-8 volumes of water and kieselguhr, asbestos, or quartz powder is added until the mixture just remains readily stirrable. A mixed solution is then prepared by dissolving 10 parts of nickel nitrate with 6 mols of water to a 2 N. solution and mixing with an aluminum chloride solution-of the same concentration containing an amount of aluminum corresponding to 2.5 parts of A1 0 The mixed nickel-aluminum salt solution is then added to the waterglass suspension until the reaction product and the mother liquor react slightly alkaline or neutral to phenolphthalein. The jelly which precipitates is pressed from the mother liquor, washed two or three times with water amounting to about three times the volume of the mother liquor, and is then dried and broken into small pieces. The contact mass thus obtained is filled into the converter and reduced with water gas or other hydrogencontaining gases at 250350 C.

After reduction the contact mass may be used for hydrogenating unsaturated aliphatic compounds. For example, acetylene mixed with hydrogen may be reduced to ethylene or ethane, depending on the amount of hydrogen used. \Vhen the theoretical amount of hydrogen, that is to say 2 volumes of hydrogen to one of acetylene, is used and the mixture passed over the c'ontact mass at JAG-180 C. ethylene is obtained as the main product containing some unchanged acetylene and a small amount of higher hydrocarbons. When an excess of hydrogen is used the main product is ethane. Other olefines may be transformed into saturated hydrocarbons, such as, for example, propylene to propane.

Using the same contact mass the unsaturated side chains of aromatic compounds may be hydrogenated. Thus, for example, styrene may be transformed into ethyl benzene and stilbene can similarly be transformed into dibenzyl. The temperature should be somewhat higher than for the aliphatic hydrogenations, preferably between 220270 C., and an excess of hydrogen should ordinarily be used.

The effectiveness of the contact mass can be enhanced when small amounts of copper or manganese are present in the non-exchangeable nucleus in addition to the nickel. They may also be present in the form of diluents, thus, for example, the kieselguhr used may be impregnated with 3 parts of cupric hydroxide prepared in the usual manner by first impregnating the kieselguhr with a copper nitrate solution and then precipitating the hydroxide with normal sodium hydroxide, the impregnated kieselguhr being, of course, first dried before introduction into the waterglass solution. A further improvement can be effected by leaching the base exchange body with acid, preferably 23% nitric acid in order to leach out part of the exchangeable alkali. After leaching is completed the base exchange body should be dried and reduced with hydrogen containing gases at 300350 C.

Example 2 Four solutions are prepared, as follows:

1. 27 parts of freshly precipitated chromium hydroxide in the form of a suspension, as obtained by precipitation from the corresponding chromous salt solution, are treated with sufficient 2 N. sodium hydroxide solution to transform them into the corresponding sodium chromite.

2. 8 parts of cadmium nitrate with 4 mols of water are dissolved in 50 parts of water and suflicient 2 N. sodium hydroxide solution is added until the corresponding sodium cadmiate solution is obtained.

3. 4 parts of V 0 freshly prepared by reducing a corresponding amount of V 0 are dissolved in 5 N. sodium hydroxide solution to the coffee brown sodium vanadite.

4. 50 parts of nickel nitrate are dissolved in 250 parts of water.

Solutions 1, 2 and are mixed together and 30 parts of colloidal SiO- kieselguhr or finely pulverized activated carbon, or a mixture, are added as diluents and thoroughly mixed. The nickel nitrate mixture is added to the mixed metallates with vigorous agitation until the reaction product obtained is slightly alkaline or neutral to phenolphthalein. In any event strong alkalinity to litmus must be maintained. The reaction product is then freed from the mother liquid without washing the constituents and the non-silicious base exchange body contains chromium, cadmium, vanadium and nickel in non-exchangeable form diluted with the finely divided silicious material, or activated carbon. The base exchange body is preferably hydrated with water by trickling the latter over the crushed base exchange fragments, and then dried, whereupon it is reduced with hydrogen-containing gas at temperatures from 250 to 350 C.

The contact mass prepared as described above is very effective for the catalytic hydrogenation of unsaturated alcohols, for example allyl alcohol to propyl alcohol; for the hydrogenation of unsaturated ethers, for example allyl ether to propyl ether; for the hydrogenation of unsaturated acids, such as, for example, maleic acid to succinic acid, crotonic acid to butyric acid, oleic acid to stearic acid, and the like. The hydrogenation should take place in the presence of hydrogen-containing gases, using either the theoretical amount or, preferably, an excess, and may be carried out either in the vapor phase or in the liquid phase, with or without pressure at ordinary or elevated temperatures.

Under the same reaction conditions free maleic acid can also be hydrogenated to suecinic acid with an excess of hydrogen, but where any considerable amount of fumaric acid is present; the latter is not sufficiently volatile to get into the gas stream, and it is therefore preferable in most cases to bydrogenate the esters.

The same contact mass may be used for hydrogenating these acids in the liquid phase. Instead of using the acids, however, which would strongly corrode the reaction vessel, the alkali metal salts such as the sodium salts, may be used in aqueous solution, the catalyst of course being suspended as in all liquid phase reactions. While the process can be carried out at room temperature, it is preferable to use a somewhat elevated temperature. Instead of using the concentrated acids, they may be diluted with indifferent solvents such as alcohols, irclptone, cyclohexane, cylohexanol and. the

The contact mass may be further modified by introducing copper through base exchange, for example, by trickling 3 to 5% copper salt solutions such as copper nitrate over the hydrated contact mass, in order to partly replace the exchangeable alkali. Copper in this case tones the nickel and the other constitutents may be considered as stabilizer promoters as these tone the effect of the alkali stabilizer.

Another modification may be obtained by leaching the base exchange catalyst with dilute acid to leach out the exchangeable alkali present, the desirable physical structure of the contact mass being retained. The leached product should be reduced at 300- 400 C., and can then be effectively used for the hydrogenation of unsaturated alcohols, for example crotonyl alcohol may be reduced with gases containing hydrogen in the theoretical amount or in small excess, the mixture being passed over the contact mass at 120140 C. and producing butyl alcohol as the main product.

Example 3 50 parts of kieselguhr are suspended in 300 parts of water and 50 parts of concentrated hydrochloric acid are poured in and the whole is heated up to 70 C. with vigorous agitation. The kieselguhr is then filtered off and washed with distilled water until entirely free from acid and the purified product is suspended in a nickel nitrate solut1on containing 180 parts of nickel nitrate with 6 mols of water in 500 0.0. of water. Nickel hydroxide is then precipitated in a fine state of division in the kieselguhr using 2 N. sodium hydroxide solution, whereupon the mass is filtered and carefully washed with distilled water until free from sodium nitrate.

24 parts of SiO in the form of a commercial sodium waterglass solution, as free from iron as possible, are diluted'with 250 parts of water and the kieselguhr impregnated with nickel hydroxide is suspended therein with vigorous agitation.

8 parts of A1 0 in the formo'f the hydroxide freshly precipitated from a salt solution with ammonia are treated with 2 N. sodium hydroxide solution until all of the aluminum oxide goes into the solution as sodium aluminate. This solution is then poured into the waterglass suspension with vigorous agitation and heated to 5060 Ci resulting in the precipitation of an aluminum zeolite containing nickel hydroxide and kieselguhr as diluents. The yield of the zeolite may be increased by neutralizing any excess of alkali with dilute nitric acid. The zeolite is then sucked from the mother liquor, washed with 500 parts of water in small portions and dried preferably at temperatures below 100 C After drying the zeolite is hydrated with water in the usual manner, again dried andpulverized and then treated with hydrogencontaining gases. After this preliminary treatment the contact mass is wellsuited for the catalytic hardening of oils. The effectiveness of the zeolite contact mass may also be enhanced by the introduction of magnesium oxide or oxides of the rare earth metals by base exchange. Another modification consists in leaching the zeolite with dilute acids removing part or all of the exchangeable alkali. The leaching may be effected by treating the zeolite after hydration with 13% nitric acid until the de-' sired amount of alkali'has been removed. The amount of nitric acidnecessary can be readily determined by testing a sample of the zeolite.

Instead of using an aluminate as the metallate component of the contact mass, other metallatesmay be substituted, for example beryllate ma replace part or all of the aluminate. her metal oxides can be introduced by base exchange and may possess specific catalytic properties or be stabihzer promoters.

Where a high concentration of catalytlcall effective metal oxides, such as nickel oxi e, are present, either as diluents or embedded in the zeolite molecule, it is sometimes of advantage to treat the contact mass with compounds containing the acid radicals of the metal acids of the 5th and 6th groups of the periodic system in order to form the so-called salt-like bodies, thus, for example, the diluted zeolite repared as, described above may be treated with 35% of nickel nitrate solution until a maximum of base exchange has taken place. After washing outthe excess nickel nitrate the wet zeolite is treated with 500 parts of 1% ammonium vanadate solution, the solution being permitted to trickle over the zeolite on a filter. The resulting product is a saltlike body and is a well stabilized contact mass for the hardening of oils.

Of course other nickel containing contact masses described in the fore oing examples ma also be used for oil hardening.

n example of an oil hardening process is the followin :50 liters of a linseedoil showing an iodine number of 178 are mixed with 1 kilo ofsthe contact mass described above, the contact mass bein suspended in a fine state of division ant? then, after heating the oil to 250 0., hydrogen is passed in with vigorous agitat on. From time to time samples are taken out and tested for melting point. After 912 hours a sample should show a melting point of about 63 C. and an iodine number practically zero. The reaction may then be stopped and the fully hydrogenated linseed oil can be separated from the suspended contact mass in the usual manner. The hydrogenation is preferably effected in a circulatory process, the hydrogen being as free as possible from. poisons, such as sulfur compounds. For this purpose hydrogen-containing gases which are prepared by passing water gas through the vapors of boiling mercury alloys such as lead or cadmium mercury alloys or forced through these hot liquid alloy baths may be effectively used and shows a satisfactory purity.

In the claims the term permutogenetic covers base exchange bodies, silicious or nonsilicious, the products obtained by the acid leaching of these base exchange bodies and the salt-like bodies obtained by the reaction of these base exchange bodies with com-' pounds the acid radicals of which are capable of reacting with the base exchange bodies to produce products which show most of the properties of salts, When used in the claims, the term permutogenetic will have no other meaning.

This case is a divislon of mv pending application Serial No. 256,917, filed February 25, 1928.

What is claimed as new is:

1. A method of catalytically hdydrogenat ing non-nitro enous unsaturate aliphatic compounds, which. comprises causing them to react with hydrogen containing gases at reaction temperature in the presence of a contact mass containing a permutogenetic body, at least one catalytically effective component being other than ansexchangeable ase.

2. A method of catalytically h drogenating unsaturated aliphatic hy rocarbons, which com risescausmg the compounds to react with liydrogen containing gases at reaction temperature in the presence of a contact mass containing a permutogenetic body having at least one catalytically effective component other than an exchangeable base.

3. A method of catalytically hydrogenating non-nitrogenous unsaturated aliphatic compounds, which comprises vaporizing them, mixing the vapor with hydrogen containing gases at reaction temperature, and passing the mixture at an elevated temperature over a contact mass containing a permutogenetic body, at least one catalytically effective component being other than an ex changeable base. a

4. A method of catalytically hydrogenating non-nitrogenous unsaturated aliphatic compounds which comprises subjecting them to reaction with hydrogen containing gases at reaction temperature in the presence of a contact mass containing a permutogenetic body having at least one catalytically eifective component other than an exchangeable base and also containing at least one chemical, solid, non-specific, vapor phase catalyst.

5. A method of catalytically hydrogenating non-nitrogenous unsaturated aliphatic compounds, which comprises subjecting them to reaction with hydrogen containing gases at reaction temperature in the presence of a contact mass containing a permutogenetic body having at least one catalytically eflective component other than an exchangeable base and containing at least one compound of an element included in the group consisting of alkali metals, alkaline earth metals and rare earth metals whose oxides are not reducible by hydrogen and at least one catalytic, solid, non-specific, vapor phase catalyst.

6. A method of catalytically hydrogenating non-nitrogenous unsaturated aliphatic compounds, which comprises causing them to react with hydrogen containing gases at reaction temperature in the presence of a contact mass containing a permutogenetic body, at least a portion of the catal tically cally effective component being other than efl'ective components being chemical y coman exchangeable base.

bined in non-exchangeable form in or with Signed at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania this permutogenetic body. th day of September, 1929.

ALPHONS O. J AEGER.

7. A method of catalytically hydrogenating non-nitrogenous unsaturated aliphatic compounds, which comprises causing them to react with hydrogen containing gases at reaction temperature in the presence of a contact mass containing a diluted permutogenetic body.

8. A method according to claim 7, in which at least a portion of the catalytically cfi'ective components are present in the form of diluents in the permutogenetic body.

9. A method according to claim 7, in which the diluted permutogenetic body contains at least one chemical, solid, non-specific, vapor phase catalyst.

10. A method according to claim 7, in hich the diluted permutogenetic body contains at least one compound of an element included in the group consisting of alkali metals, alkaline earth metals, and rare earth metals whose oxides are not reducible by hydrogen.

11. A method according to claim 7, in

p which the diluted permutogenetic body contains at least one compound of an element included in the group consisting of alkali metals, alkaline earth metals and rare earth metals whose oxides are not reducible by hydrogen and at least one chemical, solid non-specific, vapor phase catalyst.

12. A method of catalytically hydrogenating non-nitrogenous unsaturated aliphatic compounds, which comprises causing them to react with hydrogen containing gases at reaction temperature in the presence of a contact mass containing a permutogenetic body, at least one of the catalytically effective components being other than an exchangeable base, and recirculating at least a portion of the reacted gases.

13. A method of catalytically hydrogenating. olefines which comprises causing 'at least one olefine to react with hydrogen containing gases at reaction temperature in the presence of a contact mass containing a permutogenetic body, at least one catalytically efl'ective component being other than an exchangeable base.

14. A method of catalytically hydrogenating olefines which comprises causing at least one olefine to react with hydrogen containing gases at reaction temperature in the presence of a contact mass containing a diluted permutogenetic body.

15. A method of catalytically hydrogenatmg acetylene which comprises causing gases conta n ng acetylene to react with hydrogen containing gases at reaction temperature in the presence of a contact mass containing a permutogenetic body, at least one catalyti- 

